The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-06-11
The Great IDdial Remedy.

There is nothing ill life easier than to edit newspaper. A little knowl- edge of the world. nice critical per caption, pen equal 10 any emergency these are the only indispensable qualifications So. at least, think many people who dabblcd in litera- ture; and so thought Dr. Julius Fripp, when, after contributing for many years to one periodical and another, he invested all his available funds in the purchase of the SpecUlotOf newspaper, and installed himself in the editors chair.
 Strange to say, the result did not altogether correspond with Dr. Fripp'S expectations. The ,SpecUl0- Tor had been originally started as an organ of advanced thought, but at the time Dr. Fripp appeared on the scene it had all but speculated itself out of existence The doctor (Fripp had picked up degree early in life during a sojourn in Germany. and always made a point of wearing iD saw that the title of the paper was as applicable to commerce as to philosophy, and he accordingly started the Specul0t0r on a new basis as financial journal and guide for investors. He introduced into it at the same time many novel and striking journalistic ideas, which might have been expected to make the fortune of any newspaper. The public, however. took no better 10 the new SpecUi0tOf than to the old. The ad- veriiscments kept the paper atloat for a time Git is an astonishing thing how long advertisers will remain faithful to a paper which nobody reads); but the circulation fell lower and lower, until at last Dr. Fripp perceived that, unless vitality could be restored some how, his editorial days were num- bercd. In this extremity. only one hope suggested itself to him, and that was fresh blood, coupled with fresh funds. Actuated by this idea, the doctor one day made it known through the columns of the Times that an ad- mirable opportunity occurred for gentleman with from 800 to 1000 pounds to assist in developing an old established newspaper, certain to yield a lucrative return.
 The answers were more numerous than satisfactory. The writers offered experience, ability, and even genius, some gratis, some on highly eXorbi- tant terms; but capital, somehow, held aloof. After going through all his answers, the doctor could only see one which looked at all like business, and that was a laconic epistle which simply requested an interview for the pur- pose of discussing details. There could, at any rate, be no harm in sec ing this correspondent; so Fripp wrote and made the desired appointment.
 The hour came and the man. To Dr. Fripp's surprise, the card which was handed in bore name which was quite familiar to him. though he had never yet met the owner of it. The name was that of Mir. Silas r. Walker, a citizen of the United States, and known to, Dr. Fripp as the prin- cipal, if not the sole, proprietor of "Watha, the Great Indian Remedy" This famous medicine had lately been introduced to the notice of the British public by every means known to the art of the advertiser; and the Spec utotor, among other newspapers, had assisted in making its virtues known to the world. To tell the truth, the doctor had been for some time past doing his best to get in an amount of some seventy pounds odd due to him for advertisements of the Great Indian Remedy. This made him all the more surprised to see his visi- tor.
 Il had better tell you at once, MT. Walker" he said, "that unless you are prepared to advance or find the amount named in my advertisement, our interview will be waste of time."
 Don't be in too much of a hurry, MT. Fripp," replied the American coolly. "Now, suppose was to tell you that Pve got an idea which"
 "Oh, d-n ideas p replied the editor, with pardonable impatience, for he felt that he had much larger stock of the article on hand than he could find any market for. Il ask for cash, and every fool in London offers me ideas"
 "May be-" responded Mir. Walker, with no trace of annoyance. "But I bet no fools been offering you an idea like mine."
 "Perhaps not, But. for the present.